Chapter 59: Chapter 59 – This is her first love
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As flowers bloom on different trees, representing different schools, Ibuki left Class C in dissatisfaction. Due to the intense heat of the midday summer sun, the students of Class C lost the desire to continue playing and decided to take a nap, planning to resume their activities later.
After resting, Yukio, feeling refreshed, left the beach and headed towards other classes. The plan was to return to the cruise ship tomorrow, spending just one night on the uninhabited island for a camping experience, so time was of the essence.
Entering the lush jungle, Yukio noticed various man-made paths. Without these trails blazed by others, the dense jungle of the island would have been impenetrable.
This made it easier for Yukio to deduce the general direction of each class.
Each class had about forty students, with Class A missing one, making the numbers considerable. With such a limit on numbers, it was impossible to traverse smaller, hidden paths.
This meant that by following a few main paths and avoiding narrow ones, it was easy to locate the bases of each class.
Passing a broken tree, Yukio anticipated a base ahead. Why else would there be such an obvious landmark to prevent getting lost? On an island without large beasts, it's hard to break a tree; lightning would have blackened the top, not broken the bottom.
Sure enough, after walking a bit further south, Yukio found a base. Observing discreetly from the outskirts, he identified it as Class B's base.
Ibuki was nowhere to be seen, so she must not have infiltrated yet. Not wanting to stir up any suspicion, Yukio quietly left and continued searching for other class bases.
After some effort, in the opposite northwest direction, he found Class D's base. Compared to Class B's orderly setup, Class D's base was disorganized and messy, barely passable.
Observing from a distance, Yukio saw Kei Karuizawa leading a group of girls excitedly setting up a temporary shower area, while Kushida was leading another group making something with vines.
Sakura, however, seemed out of place, sitting alone at the edge of the base, away from Kushida's group. She leaned against a tree, shading herself from the sun, also working with vines.
After confirming this, Yukio avoided everyone's attention and stealthily approached Sakura from behind. The uninhabited island's forest environment was perfect for such sneaky movements.
The dense trees and underbrush, an obstacle for those walking in the open, served as a significant aid for someone lurking in the shadows.
"Sakura," Yukio whispered, not appearing in front of her but simply leaning against the tree, behind Sakura, who leaned on the other side.
"Ah!" Sakura let out a small yelp, looking around but not seeing anyone. However, the voice, even though low, was unmistakable to her!
It was Yukio! But, she was in Class D, and Yukio should be leading Class C. He shouldn't have had time to come over, should he?
Could it be... was she just hallucinating? The thought alone made Sakura's face flush with embarrassment. Ever since she met Yukio and Shiina, she had felt much happier.
However, due to the competition between classes, they couldn't meet often, only chatting occasionally on LINE. Before the holiday break, she had looked forward to secretly visiting Yukio, but with the school-arranged trip, everyone being on the cruise ship made her hesitant to act.
Too many students were around on the cruise ship, and she didn't dare expose her relationship with Yukio, to avoid sabotaging his plans.
Perhaps it was because of this, 'daytime thoughts become nighttime dreams'? Was she hallucinating Yukio's voice because she missed him too much?
Thinking too much about someone... As this thought crossed her mind, Sakura mangled the vine in her hand, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red, making it seem as if she was struck by a sudden fever.
"Sakura?" Yukio called out again softly. What was happening? Had his top undercover agent fallen asleep on the way?
This time Sakura heard it clearly, and the voice was coming from behind the tree! She quickly turned around, whispering in a guilty tone, "Is that you, Yukio?"
"It's me," Yukio reassured her. "Stay put, don't let your classmates notice you."
"Okay!" Sakura immediately complied, eager to stand up and circle around the tree, but considering Yukio's position, she suppressed her excitement, cautiously checking the area ahead.
Fortunately, she had chosen this quiet spot to weave vines, away from everyone's attention. No one from Class D was looking her way!
"Yukio-kun, no one is watching me," Sakura said, fearful of being discovered interacting with someone from another class, yet excited to finally be of help to Yukio. A mix of nervousness, joy, and earnestness swirled inside her.
"That's good," Yukio didn't start by asking about the leader, not wanting to discomfort Sakura. Instead, he gently changed the subject: "How are you finding the uninhabited island life?"
Sakura's heart raced. Was Yukio showing concern for her? Was someone like her also worth his worry? A sense of unexpected joy filled her: "It's, it's okay."
In reality, it was far from okay. It was hot, sleeping on the floor was uncomfortable, and she had to cram into a small tent with other girls. Not being good at socializing, she was forced to interact with many classmates and endure their curious glances.
But not wanting to burden Yukio, she chose to downplay her discomfort.
"Just okay?" Yukio's voice was like chatting with a friend behind a tree: "If you have any troubles, feel free to share with me. From a single dorm room to an uninhabited island, how could it be just okay? It must be quite hard, right, Sakura?"
His words, warm and understanding, instantly melted into her soul, washing away all the stress and discomfort she had felt on the island. It was a strangely healing warmth!
Facing such warmth, Sakura subconsciously said what Yukio most wanted to hear: "Yes, it's been tough, but, but I can persevere, for Yukio-kun's sake."
"Right! Yukio-kun, our class leader is Horikita, Horikita Suzune." Worried that Yukio might not recognize the name, she specifically mentioned the full name.
"So it's her," Yukio thought to himself, his tone casual as if he was still casually chatting with Sakura: "I thought it was Hirata, the sunny guy who came out to make a deal with us last time."
Sakura felt happy to chat with Yukio, sharing insights without much concern. This was her class's top-secret information, but compared to what Yukio had given her, the class didn't matter: "It started like that."
"Midway through choosing the leader, everyone unanimously wanted to select Hirata as the leader, but he refused."
"Hirata even publicly apologized to Horikita, saying that when he made the deal with Class C last time, he didn't consider Horikita's feelings or ask if she had a better plan."
"Hirata also expressed his hope that for the sake of the class, Horikita would forgive his irrational behavior last time, and he handed over the command to her."
"He said that Horikita's capabilities could lead the class to victory in this special exam, so in the end, everyone chose Horikita as the leader."
"So, our final leader is Horikita."
"It seems your class is still a bit chaotic," Yukio said, seemingly sympathizing with Sakura.
"If only I were in Yukio-kun's class..." Sakura inadvertently voiced her deepest feelings, prompted by his words.
"Huh?" Yukio couldn't quite catch her soft-spoken confession.
"Nothing! It's nothing!" Sakura's voice returned to a more normal tone, as if eager to deny something. In the shadow of the tree, where her expression was hidden, Yukio couldn't gauge her feelings.
So, Yukio decided to present a gift, walking around the tree and gently placing it beside Sakura.
"What's this?" Sakura gasped softly, seeing the little pudding, toffee-filled candies, and jellies. Her heart leaped with joy.
"I thought you might find it tough on the uninhabited island, so I brought some sweets. If it gets too bitter here, maybe these can sweeten things up a bit."
How gentle... Holding the sweets, Sakura felt as if she was holding the whole world. Every time she experienced Yukio's warmth, she couldn't help but grow fonder of him.
For the first time, the young girl clearly realized her feelings – she was in love with Yukio. It was her first love.
She also held a firm belief within her – that her affection for Yukio would only grow stronger and deeper, beyond the point of no return.
***
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